Stamping-dies



L. E. CAMERON'.

STAMPING mes. Y

APPLICATION FILED MAYIG. T919.

Patented Deu. 13, 192.1.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

LLOYD E. CAMERON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR IIOy ALFRED F.

MURPHY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STAMPING-DIES incoar-e.,

To all wiom et may concern s' Be it known that l, LLOYD E. CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Somerville, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an improvement in Stamping-Dies, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to dies adapt/ed to be removably assembled in stamping presses for producing predetermined forms, such, for exam le as the numbers on automobile number p ates.

These dies consist in a pair of mating die elements, equipped with means to hold them in coperative relation and normally a small distance apart, so that the sheet or plate material to be stamped may be inserted therebetween, these die pairs being made up as individual units adapted to be assembled side by side on the platen of a press to stamp simultaneously any required series of letters or other forms. The members of these die pairs as heretofore commonly produced have been hinged at one end so as to permit the opening thereof for insertion of the work. This hinge connection has proved objectionable since it'does not hold the die members always accurately in mating cooperative relation, particularly after a period of wear, and these dies are often broken from an uneven distribution of strains. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a die pair or couple of the type stated, wherein the die members are mounted and relatively connected for a right line movement toward and from each other, this connection being of a character so that the die members are always held perfectly alined with respect to each other from one end of the dies, leaving the main body portion Jioin the other end of the dies open and free for the insertion of work. The die units in the present invention are further self-contained and since the die members are always in parallelism, when open as well as when closed, they are more convenient for handling, assembling, or storage than in the previously common hinged type of die.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be better understood from ,the following detailed de- Speeication of Letters .'Eatent.

Patented Dec. 13, 192i.

Application tiled may 16,4919. Serial Ho. 297,645.

scription, taken connection 'with the accompanying drawings and distinctive features of novelty will then be pointed out in the appended claims.

, Referringto the drawings,

Figure 1 is a lengthwise central vertical section, showing a die unit embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a lengthwise horizontal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. .`l;

Fig. 4 is atransverse section on line 1 -4 of Fig. 2 and showing the die members closed together;

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation showing a series of die units of my invention assembled in a press;

' Fig. 6 1s a side elevation showing a modified form of die unit with the die members Oper;

Fig. 7 is a lengthwise horizontal section on line 7 -7 of Fig. 6;

t Fig. is a fragmentary end view, showing a still further modification 9-2 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a partial horizontal section corresponding to Fi 7, showing a fur-v thermodication; an

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary horizontal seetion corresponding to Fig. 7, showing a still I Fig. 9 1s a horizontal section on line' as oblong as required bythe outline of the character to be produced in the present illustration. In accordance with my invention, the respective die members are Iextended at one end some distance beyond the operative portion thereof, v1. e. the outline of the character to be stamped, and in this extended portion one of the dies, shown as the die 11, has fixed therein a pair of diagonally spaced apart pins 12, 13. These pins project downwardly from the member l1 and are iitted to slide freely in holes 14 of the lower die 10 which are of a size to closely fit and guide accurately these pins. In the lower die member l0 diagonally spaced apart intermediate the pins 12, 13 are adjustably threaded headed bolts 15, 16,

the heads 15 of these bolts tting in bores 17 of the upper die, which extend only part way theret rough, so that the bottoms of said bores serve as sto ledges to coperate with the heads 15a o the bolts and thus limit the opening movement of the die elements, the extent of this opening movement being regulable by the adjustment of the bolts 15 which may conveniently have kerfs in the heads thereof for this purpose. The portions of the two die members between the pins 12, 13 and the bolts 15,- 16have alining bores 18, 19 therein extending part way therethrough, in which -is housed \a com ression coil spring 20, which normallyn hol s the die members open and apart as far as permitted by the adjustment of the bolts 15, 16. It will be noted that this spring is symmetricallyl disposed with respect both to the guide pins 12, 13 andwith respect to the: stop bolts 15, 16, and hence the tendency to binding or cramping of the die members in their relative opening and closing movement is minimized. Thus a die construction is provided wherein the die members are held securely alined and4 V guided for free opening movement with the opening spring dlsposed for coperation to best advantage with the guiding and 'alining members at one end of the die, leaving the entire body portion and other end ofthe die freeand available for the insertion of workthereinto, while the alinement and right line movement of the die members is also insured.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I show a'form of the invention wherein die members 21, 2-2 corre-v spond generallyi to the die members 10, 11 respectively. In this form,instead of the guide pins 12, 13 I provide onopposite sides at one end 'of lthe die members, guide plates vor bars 23, 24 respectively, these bars being shown at 25 as fixed to the die member 22 and slidably guided in recessed ways 26 rovided therefor in the die member 21. t will be noted that these guide bars in this case also are located lsymmetrically at vopposite sides with respectv to the coil lspring 201- which corresponds to the spring 20 of the first described form. 'In this form the adjustable stop bolts 151, 161 may be arranged and mounted similar to the first described form.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I show va form` wherein` the die members 27, 28 correspond to the die members 10, 11 with an opening spring 202 similar to and similarly mounted as fthe spring 20, this form also having adjustable bolts 152, 162'. In this form the for holding the die members rela'- Laconic tively guided and alined consists in a bar- 29 which may be fixed tothe upper die member, as indicated at 30 and 4projects downward with a dove-tailed slidingengagement as lseen at 29 -in the lower die member 27. f

In Fig. 10 Ishow a form similar to Figs. 6v and 7, except that the guidebars 23", 24 have a dove-tailed sliding t inA the lower die member adapted to effect amore accurate guiding relation between the die members. The form shown in Fig. 11, similar to that of F'igs. 8 and 9 except that the bar 29a corresponding tothe bar 29 is rabbeted at its sides, as seen at 290 and has slidable fit in a correspondingly shaped recess in the lower die. I-am'aware that the invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claimsrather thany to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what Iv claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: A

1. A self-contained die unit adapted for removable assemblage in a stamping press, comprising a pair of oblong die blocks having mating faces bearing thel die impression to be produced and adapted to be opened to permit insertion of Work therebetween from one end to a point adjacent the opposite end, said blocks equippedwith spring means to hold them normally apart, and withmeans for holding them alined with respect to each other located at, and

limited to,'the end portions thereof oppovsite the end from which the work is 1nmating faces thereof the die impression vto be produced and adapted to receive work therebetween from one end thereof, the other ends thereof equipped with alining means, ,and with spring means normally holding them apart, such means being limited to the extreme end portion of the blocks whereby the major portion thereof is left free for the insertion of work.

In testimony whereof,'I have signed my name to this specification.

LLOYD n, CAMERON. 

